If you've ever read a support letter for a short term missions trip, you know that the basic gist is "pray for me & give me money." While that might be an adequate (albeit blunt) summary, I think there are more specific ways that you can support me. There are a lot of things that go into a six week trip across the world-- a different language, a different culture. I'm preparing physically (got my shots yesterday!), mentally, emotionally, spiritually. There is so much to do. So here are eight ways that you can support me and encourage me during my time in Nepal:
1. Pray for me as I prepare to go. I won’t be leaving for Kathmandu until June, but the three months between now and then are going to be busy ones. This is one of my busiest semesters of college yet. (People aren’t kidding when they say junior year is rough!) Pray that I will learn to balance my 18-credit load, the many extracurricular activities I’m involved in, and preparing thoroughly for Nepal. Pray that I learn to trust God completely as I fund raise. Pray that I trust Him as the facts about what I’m getting myself into hit me more and more. Pray that God will begin to prepare my heart now for everything that’s coming during my six weeks in Nepal.
2. Pray for me while I’m in Nepal. Nepal is a really cool place—the culture fascinates me. It’s a country with bright colors, the Himalayas, monkeys, and elephants. But it’s also a country that is still developing and a country with a lot of risks. I’m taking necessary precautions and I'm trusting that God is sovereignly in control of our time in Nepal, but pray for our team's health and safety. There are many aspects of the country that will be overwhelming. Nepal has a deeply Hindu culture, and we’ll be confronted by many things that may make us feel hopeless. The poverty and the needs of the people on the streets are huge. Pray that my heart will be broken and that I’ll be compassionate like Jesus was when he saw the multitudes. Pray that even as I’m feeling hopeless, I’ll see the hope that Christ has brought through ministries like Tiny Hands. Pray that my eyes will be opened to the needs and the ways that I can serve and meet those needs.
This trip will be challenging-- seeing deep hurt and desperate need always is. It will be hard to live in a Hindu third world nation. Pray that as these challenging issues and hardships come, Christ’s love will overflow from me and change lives. If my summers at camp are any indication, I know that it will be hard for me to keep going when I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. Pray that I will be able to think of others instead of myself. Pray that I'll daily remember the words that I said over and over last summer-- it's not about me. I'm so humbled that God would choose me to do this work in Nepal. Pray that I, as well as my team, will spend our time in Nepal in thankfulness that God chose us to be a part of His global work.
The first part of our summer is all about seeing what’s going on in Nepal—seeing the culture and the needs, as well as seeing what Tiny Hands and other organizations are doing to meet those needs. But the second half of the trip will be my opportunity to jump in and get involved. Pray that as that time approaches, God will make it abundantly clear where and how He wants me to get involved. Pray for wisdom and discernment in making the decision about how to spend those last three weeks.
3. Pray for my team. I’m definitely not going on this journey alone. I get to have a team of nine other girls working with me the entire time that I’m in Nepal. Pray that we will be unified as a team, constantly remembering our purpose that binds us together. Pray that each of us will have a teachable heart so that God can work through each of us. Each one of these girls is going through the same preparation process and emotions that I am. Pray for each one as she prepares to spend six weeks in a very different culture.
4. Pray for me when I get home. The time building up to the summer is a good time of growth and preparation. My summer in Nepal will certainly be a pivotal point in my life. But the weeks after my trip are just as important to me. When I come back home, I’m jumping back into American culture. I’ll have to figure out how to take everything I just saw & experienced and try to keep moving on with life-- but I don’t want to get home and resume life as normal. I want to process through everything that I saw in Nepal, and I want to let my summer change me. I want to prayerfully consider my next steps. This journey most definitely does not end when I’m back on American soil. I will still need your prayers and support once I’m home. Ask me about my trip, ask me about what I learned and how I saw God work. (You know I’ll love to tell you!)
5. Pray for Tiny Hands. My summer would not be possible without the work of Tiny Hands International. Pray for the organization and the staff as they continue the work in Nepal. Pray for their new Dream School—a Christian school for the children of Nepal to get a quality education. Pray for THI’s work intercepting trafficking. Pray for their children’s homes, and the parents & the children that live there. Pray that Tiny Hands continues to grow and expand its gospel influence in Nepal and surrounding countries.
6. Pray for my parents. I’m incredibly blessed to have parents that support me 100% in this journey. But I know that if this is hard at all for me, it’s much harder for them. I know they want to see me follow God and where he’s leading me, but that doesn't mean it’s always easy for them to see me go halfway around the world while they stay here. Pray that God will teach them through this as well. My parents are my biggest supporters and my greatest prayer warriors. I can't imagine doing this whole Nepal thing without them behind me every step of the way.
7. Talk to me. Honestly, this is one of the best ways that you can support me & show that you care. Read my blog, let me know that you’re praying, ask me about my trip. I’d love to sit down and talk to you about the details of my six weeks in Nepal or share what God is already teaching me through this adventure. It means the world to me to know that people care about me and are supporting me as I follow Jesus.
While I’m in Nepal, I’d still love to hear from you. I will have internet access (though it may be unreliable), and I’ll be able to check Facebook and update my blog fairly often. Follow me on Instagram where I will be sharing pictures & read my blog where I'll share stories of what God is doing. Message me on Facebook to tell me that you're praying for me-- I may not be able to answer you right away, but it will encourage my heart so much to know that you're supporting me.
8. Donate to my trip. One of the most tangible ways you can help me is by supporting me financially. I need to raise about $5,000 to be able to go to Nepal. You can donate online here (where I also have a little bit of information about my trip, in case you missed it before!) Or if you’d rather mail a check, my home church, Calvary Baptist Simpsonville, has graciously agreed to help collect and administrate funds on my behalf. Please make checks payable to “Calvary Baptist Church” and include a note with the words “Molly Barron – Nepal” (do not write it in the memo field).
Again, thank you so much for partnering with me this summer. I'm clinging to Ephesians 3:20, confident that God will do immeasurably more than I can ask or think in Nepal. Keep reading and following here, as I share more stories about how God brought me to this place, what He's been teaching me, and how Nepal will change me!
P.S. Shout-out to those faithful friends that get near-daily texts about how I just realized (again) that I'm going to Nepal and it just hit me (again) what that means. Thanks for putting up with my crazy excitement and nervous moments! (Even when it's the fifteenth time this week you've heard this.) You have no idea how grateful I am to know that you have my back and know that you're praying for me often!
